Iran nuclear talks: west demands closure of Fordo underground facility

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Guardian:

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, tours a nuclear research reactor in Tehran

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US and Europe also call on Iran to end uranium enrichment to 20% ahead of 'last chance' negotiations in Istanbul

The US and Europe are to demand that Iran dismantle its fortified underground nuclear facility and halt higher-grade uranium enrichment at a new round of talks this week as a condition for lifting sanctions and the threat of a military attack - demands that Tehran swiftly denounced as "irrational".

Diplomats say Iran will be pressed by the permanent UN security council members plus Germany, known as the P5+1, to shut its underground nuclear facility at Fordo, to stop enriching uranium to 20%, and to hand over the estimated 100kg of uranium already enriched to that level.

Britain and France are also pushing for Iran to dismantle those parts of its nuclear programme that could be used for weapons.

The Israeli prime minister also said in an interview with Maariv newspaper (link in Hebrew) at the weekend that the underground nuclear facility at Fordo must be shut down.

If we come with clear requirements along with the threat of more sanctions then it's possible there could be a result.

But if there are sanctions without demands, then the sanctions will not help.

Israel's defence minister, Ehud Barak, made little mention of the Fordo facility itself and instead dwelled on the uranium on Sunday.
The Israeli defence minister added that while oil and banking sanctions have clearly had an impact, causing inflation in Iran to nearly double to 21.5% in urban areas, he doubted they would be enough to force Tehran's hand.

"We hope for the better but I don't believe that this amount of sanctions and pressure will bring the Iranian leadership to the conclusion that they have to stop their nuclear military programme."

Washington does not believe there is the urgency that Israel claims, in part because the White House is sceptical that Iran is as close to being able to develop a nuclear weapon as Netanyahu says.

Last month in Washington, the Israeli prime minister publicly derided sanctions and claims that Tehran is not already engaged in developing a nuclear weapon.

Read the whole story: Guardian